“I can’t tell him. I absolutely cannot tell him that I got shot in the butt.”

My feelings on Spy x Family have been a little odd this season. It doesn’t do anything particularly wrong, but of all the shows I followed, it was the one I was prone to procrastinate on watching from week to week. Perhaps it comes down to it mainly feeling like more of the same. The first season was certainly enjoyable and competent, but there wasn’t much sense of forward momentum in the narrative. Due to the story’s comedic nature, this isn’t a surprising issue, but to keep the audience’s interest in an absence of plot developments, a strong engagement with either the comedy or action is needed. Neither aspect was capable of carrying the show throughout this second season. This all has a negative spin to it, but it’s relative. There is still a lot that this season does well, but I found it wasn’t hitting the comedic heights of the first season and didn’t provide much additional incentive to keep up with it. I skipped out on reviewing the first episode of this season, since it was “more of the same.” I stated on Twitter that it was still fun, but the lack of new developments didn’t leave much room for discussion. Unfortunately, I’ve reached episode 12 and that’s still the case, though my praise has been tempered to a fair degree. Spy x Family Season 2 has started to lose the novelty of its first season, and has less laughs to show for it. It’s a shame, but without a shakeup in the status quo, I’m personally not invested in watching a third season.

If you’re not familiar with the premise of Spy x Family… I don’t know what to add. Either watch the first season, or skim my review of it. Season 2 runs into an issue that afflicts many comedy sequels. It needs to capitalize on what made the first entry good, without retreading the same material. It is advantageous that the show has a very adaptable premise that enables plenty of variations. It’s all the intense scheming of a spy drama, applied to everyday, home-life occurrences. Unfortunately, while the pacing was slightly problematic in season 1, the second season sees it become a significant detriment. This season’s episodes can be split evenly between two subcategories. One subcategory consists of episodes covering a plot in which Yor is tasked with guarding a small group of people from assassins aboard a cruise ship. This plot takes up roughly half the season, and while it serves as the stronger half, it didn’t require 6 episodes. The remaining episodes are devoted to telling one-off stories, which are generally constructed around a particular gag. There are usually 2 or 3 such stories in an episode, though there are exceptions, such as the season premiere. These can vary wildly in quality, much as they did in season 1, and even when they’re funny, they have a frustrating habit of running the joke into the ground. There were worse plots in the first season, but I sometimes found myself bouncing back and forth between mild amusement, and impatiently waiting for the episode to wrap up. For instance, one such mini-plot follows Anya’s friend, Becky, who has a crush on Lloyd as she tries to use a play-date to hit on him. All the components are there, and it’s a solid set up for a joke. However, this plot takes up two thirds of an episode! It didn’t require half of that. Once the novelty of the joke has worn off, even if it can occasionally garner a chuckle, the viewer is mainly left with the question of why it is still going on. 

I think a core aspect of the original season that worked for me was how it blended mundane activities, like getting admitted to a school or buying a dog, with chaotic spy antics. Even when it went fully into the spy side of things, it kept things silly so that it didn’t drag. Here, there is more of a divide between those two components. If I were to rewatch the first season with someone, there are several episodes I’d skip, but with season two, I’d estimate it at about a third, which is a significant volume. Even then, the episodes that wouldn’t get cut still aren’t as well crafted as the first seasons. This is all sounding very negative, but it’s due to the comparison to the previous entry. When taken on its own merits, the show succeeds more than it fails, and there were some good laughs sprinkled in. They were less frequent, though, and I’ve found myself questioning whether I truly desire to see more of the Forger household’s exploits. Admittedly, coming at a comedy with a critical eye can sometimes rob it of some of its charm, but had I not been reviewing this show, I doubt I’d have finished it. That too is a mild critique, since I’ve set aside many shows over the years, and the quality of the works is often an extraneous factor (One of these days I’ll finish Breaking Bad.). Ultimately, Spy x Family is still a good show, but if you were on the fence during the first season, I can’t imagine this one will hold your interest.

The production remains as vibrant and crisp as ever. The pairing of Wit Studio and CloverWorks is an impressive one, as both have had an impressive filmography in recent years. I’d argue that CloverWorks has a superior selection of titles, but both are more than capable of delivering exquisite imagery. The soundtrack doesn’t shake things up too much from what had been established previously, but I did note that the OP for this season is my least favorite of the three the show has had. I kept comparing it negatively to the second opening, which had emphasized the dynamic between the characters’ public personas and their underlying identities. This one seems to just take a more madcap approach, which hits upon some odd visual pet peeves that might be just a “me” thing (The extremely foreshortened visuals of the family walking towards the viewer don’t sit well with me for some reason). The ED is better, but it too can’t compete with the second ED from the first season. I feel the consistent theme of this review has been, “It’s fine, but not as good as the first season.”

Before I wrap up, a few Notes and Nitpicks:

• This is a non-sequitur, but I noticed that one of CloverWorks’ upcoming projects is based on a manga of the same name titled Wind Breaker. I was just chatting this weekend on the topic of anime titles that don’t translate well, and I think this might fit the category. While I assume the title refers to the type of jacket (I could be wrong; there are no details on Wikipedia) that title opens the series up to a whole host of puerile fart jokes.
• While it’s nice that Yor got some character exploration in this season, I didn’t feel like we walked away from that arc with any greater understanding of her. She may learn a bit of a lesson herself, but it’s a lesson that she probably could have learned early on in season 1. 
• Suspension of disbelief is an inconsistent thing in comedies, but after a while, the fact that Lloyd is so willing to overlook Yor’s superhuman feats and occasional injuries with no secondary questioning does become awkward to overlook.
• Evidently, a feature film was released to coincide with the end of this season. It’s technically not part of this season, and serves as a complete stand-alone story. The film is titled Spy × Family Code: White, for those interested in keeping an eye out for its release in the west.

Spy x Family’s second season was a moderately enjoyable entry, but it reeks of diminishing returns. Unlike the first season, which built up its zany makeshift family, season 2 ends in roughly the same place that it starts with little advancement and a less robust sense of humor. If you were a diehard fan of the first season, then it’s still an easy recommendation, but for anyone who possessed mixed feelings on the first season, this won’t be the one to change your mind.

Score: 3.5/5